Warming– but not herbicide exposure– alters resource acquisition and allocation in an insect
Poster Number
15B
Format
Poster Presentation (Research Day, April 30)
Faculty Mentor Name
Zachary Stahlschmidt
Faculty Mentor Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract/Artist Statement
Glyphosate (GLY) is the most commonly used herbicide in the U.S. and in California. Although GLY has been marketed as non-toxic to animals, emerging research indicates that many animals may be adversely affected by GLY exposure. However, little work has been done on animals’ ability to detect GLY in drinking water sources, whether GLY consumption influences feeding behavior or reproductive investment, or if ongoing global warming influences dynamics among GLY consumption, drinking, feeding, and reproduction. Insects native to California (variable field crickets,Gryllus lineaticeps) were given one of two drinking treatments: tap water or Roundup(R) solution (5 mg GLY / L tap water). Crickets were also subjected to one of two temperature treatments: 28±10°C daily cycle (control; current field conditions) cycle or a 32±10°C daily cycle (predicted warming conditions). After 5 days of treatment, crickets’ consumption of water and food (dry cat food) were measured to determine resource acquisition. Then, crickets were weighed, euthanized, and dissected to measure dry ovary mass to determine allocation of resources to soma and reproduction. Warming increased feeding, and it promoted reproductive investment at expense to somatic investment. Drinking treatment did not affect any measured variable, including water and food consumption. Thus, crickets were unable to discern herbicide contamination in drinking water. Global environmental change has many facets, and our study indicates that one common feature of global change (warming) has greater effects on an insect than another common feature of global change (pesticide exposure).
Location
Information Commons, William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center
Start Date
30-4-2022 1:00 PM
End Date
30-4-2022 3:00 PM
Warming– but not herbicide exposure– alters resource acquisition and allocation in an insect
Information Commons, William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center
Glyphosate (GLY) is the most commonly used herbicide in the U.S. and in California. Although GLY has been marketed as non-toxic to animals, emerging research indicates that many animals may be adversely affected by GLY exposure. However, little work has been done on animals’ ability to detect GLY in drinking water sources, whether GLY consumption influences feeding behavior or reproductive investment, or if ongoing global warming influences dynamics among GLY consumption, drinking, feeding, and reproduction. Insects native to California (variable field crickets,Gryllus lineaticeps) were given one of two drinking treatments: tap water or Roundup(R) solution (5 mg GLY / L tap water). Crickets were also subjected to one of two temperature treatments: 28±10°C daily cycle (control; current field conditions) cycle or a 32±10°C daily cycle (predicted warming conditions). After 5 days of treatment, crickets’ consumption of water and food (dry cat food) were measured to determine resource acquisition. Then, crickets were weighed, euthanized, and dissected to measure dry ovary mass to determine allocation of resources to soma and reproduction. Warming increased feeding, and it promoted reproductive investment at expense to somatic investment. Drinking treatment did not affect any measured variable, including water and food consumption. Thus, crickets were unable to discern herbicide contamination in drinking water. Global environmental change has many facets, and our study indicates that one common feature of global change (warming) has greater effects on an insect than another common feature of global change (pesticide exposure).